Massage implement.



y'MTENTED AUG.'23, 1904.

G. D'ITTMAR.

MASSAGE IMPLEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15,1904.`

N0 MODEL.

JM m

INVENTOR UNITED STATES.

Patented August 23, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

MASSAGE IIMPLEIVIENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,523, dated August23, 190111.

Application liled January 15, 1904. Serial No. 189,211. (No model.)

To all whom, it 7am/y concern,.-

Be it known that I, GUsTAvn DITTMAR, a citi- Zen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Massage Implements; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription lof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

- My invention relates to an implementto be used for mechanical massage,and it is especially intended for home or individual use, where theservices of'a professional masseur are not desired or convenient.

The apparatus comprises a number of reciprocating hammers provided withvery soft elastic, preferably pneumatic, faces which are applied to themuscles byV a light pounding action. A rubbing action is in mostinstances objectionable, because it displaces v more or lessthe delicatenetwork of the capillaries, while a direct `gentle pressure obtained bya blow with a soft pneumatic implement produces in the tissues akneading of every fiexible part from the surface skin to the bonewithout bruising, abrasing, or distorting the parts.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is avertical section through the machine, showing 'one of the hammers inelevation and another in longitudinal section. Flg.- 2 1s a verticalsection taken at right angles to Fig. l. Figs. 3 and L show in sectionand elevation a hammer by itself,

provided with a handle for manual use.

The massage hammer (more particularly illustrated in Figs. 3 and'li)consists of a cylindrical body of wood a, provided with a longitudinalbore o and a transversal bore o, having securedVV to both ends ahemispheric hollow rubber ball 0l. A handle e is glued in the bore c,and f is a nickel-plated tube which covers the body a and the jointsbetween the same and the rubber balls, so as to olfer a very neatappearance. size as'the bore c is out into the metal tubef for thepassage of the handle e, which is preferably made of wood. The bore I)serves as an open communication between the rubber A lateral hole of thesame half-balls CZ d, and thus the elasticity of an entire rubber ballis combined with the weight of the body a, enabling the user to impartblows more or less hard without danger of bruising.

In using the elastic hammers in the machine, Figs. -1 and 2, they aresecured to a yoke g, which is guided in suitable guides L, secured tothev walls of a casing i. A shank k projects from the "yoke gupwardly-and is provided with a slot k' for a purpose which will behereinafter explained. The upper part of the shank lo is smaller indiameter and passes through a hole in the top of the casing z', guidingthe hammer and the yoke in the reciprocations. A rubber washer Z may besecured to the end of the shank in any suitable manner-for instance, bya cross-pin m, as shown.

The upper washer serves to limit the downward motion of the hammerproduced by a spring when a cam or tappet is lifting the Ahammer againstthe action of said spring,

as will be hereinafter explained. The bottom of the casing fr' isprovided with circular openings, allowing the surfaces of the hammers topass far enough so as to come in contact with the human body, as may bedesired. These openings n may be free or may be covered with an elasticclotho, which can be secured to'the bottom of the casing by screws orrivets p. q is arevolving shaft having two collars g q and revolving inbearings v" in the side walls of the casing. One end of the shaft g isprovided with a square head s, serving nal displacement, and the shaftcarries in register with the slots 70 in the Shanks 7c cams or tappetst, adapted to enter the slots 7o and to lift the Shanks k and thehammers. Each cam has the shape of a double-armed lever capable oflifting the hammer twice during the revolutionof the shaft. The secondcam is displaced with respect to the iirst at an angle of ninetydegrees, and thus the body can receive four blows at each revolution ofthe shaft, as will be easily. understood.

It is evident that the device as shown and described can be doubled byarranging two IOO shafts Q parallel to each other and by having `fourhammers in a casing t' ot' double size.

The o'set of the shank L supports a spring u, which is compressed whenthe cam t lifts the hammer. The upper ends of the springs u lean againsta plate c, which is provided at two opposite sides with trunnions o',passing through vertical slots of 'the walls of the easing z' andcarrying outside pawls w, which engage a rack or racks provided in theouter surface ot' the casing alongside of these slots. Thus bydisengaging the pawls w the plate '0 may be adjusted along the racks inany suitable position, giving to the springs a more or less tension, andthe plate will be held in said position when the pawls w are thrownagain into engagement with the teeth of the racks. In this manner theblows of the hammers can be varied in force according to circumstances.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A massage implement or hammer having at both ends of its body theface as well as the pin end an approximately hemispherical hollow bodyof a soft elastic material firmly and air-tightly secured, and having alongitudinal bore through the body, forming a communicating channelbetween said hollow bodies, substantially as described-and for thepurpose set forth.

f 2. Amassage implement or hammer having at both ends of its body theface as well as the pin end an approximately hemispherical hollow bodyof a so'lt and air-tightly secured, aud having a longitudinal borethrough the body, forming a communicating channel between said hollowbodies, said hammer being suitably guided and being provided with meansto impart to it a reciprocating motion in such guides substantially asdescribed.

3. A massage implement or hammer having at both ends of its body thellacc as well as the pin end an approximately hcmispherical hollow bodyof a soft elastic material lirmly and air-tightly secured, and having alongitudinal bore through the body, forming a communieating' channelbetween said hollow bodies, said hammer being secured in a yoke, adaptedto slide in guides on the walls ol a casing inclosing the hammer andhaving openings in the top for the passage of an extension or shank ofsaid yoke, in combination with a spring, coiled around said extensionand adapted to exert a pressure on thc hammer, one end of said springpressing against an adjustable plate, and cooperating with al shalt,carrying-cams adapted to enter slots in thc shank and to move the hammeragainst tho spring, substantially as described.

In testimony whereoiE I ailix my signature.

GUSTAVE DITTM AH. In presence of Guo. Harmonic, F. FRANKE.

elastic material lirmly

